I recently read this blog post written by Richard Carlson: Be Right or Be Happy
In this post, he takes the position that you should shy away from the natural tendency to "correct" people. In his story, he explains that it is sometimes our tendency to want to correct people - that, somehow, "setting the record straight" and proving someone wrong will make your case and make the "sale." When you "correct" someone, you make you prove your point and in the end, you "win." It is his contention that with human nature as it is, proving someone wrong only alienates them and makes them feel uncomfortable. In the end, when you make your point by making someone wrong, you end up not winning because the person who is wrong feels lousy.
The same holds true in business, sales, networking and in relationship building.
Suppose you are trying to make a point that your product or service should be purchased. In your enthusiasm, do you "put down" the competition? Do you take the tactic of saying your "widget" is much better by putting down what they currently have? When you do that, you are really telling the person that when they made the decision to buy what they currently are using, they were WRONG! You are, in essence, criticizing their decision-making.
At the very least, you might want to frame your discusion by saying something like, "You made a choice at that time based on the best information you had available to you. However, with the positive info I can give you now on what I am offering, you might find that you can make a more informed decision to improve your situation." Its a whole different mindset. One way you prove them WRONG, and the other way, you are the hero for supplying more complete (and better) information. Bottom line, be POSITIVE about what you offer, and not negative about what they are currently have or are using - and never put down the competition to make your offering sound better.
Taking it one step further... In his best-selling book "Go-Givers Sell More," Bob Burg suggests that complimenting your competition actually adds esteem to yourself. It lets the person know you are confident about what you are offering, along with being successful and safe with what you are currently representing.
Same thing holds true with networking and recruiting. If you find people have misconceptions about network marketing and try to burst their bubble - to prove them WRONG about their misconceptions - you may succeed in proving them wrong, but will leave them feeling bad about their experience with their exposure to your business. Instead, you may want to approach them sideways - use third party information.
You can explain to them that many other people you know had some skepticism as well, but once these others found out more information, they got past their doubts. Don't try to prove them wrong. Be understanding, and offer to help provide them with supporting info that allows them to make an informed decision.
In short, if you try to win the "battle" you will, most likely, end up losing the "war." While you may prove them WRONG, you'll rarely close the "deal."
Keeping things non-confrontational and be the hero who "drips" on them with better, more complete information. It may take a little longer, but in the end, you just might be the hero who gives them what they needed to have all along!
Do you want to prove someone WRONG or do you want to be SUCCESSFUL?
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